WHEELING — Woodsdale residents have begun cleaning up debris and unsalvageable items from their houses and apartments following Saturday night’s flash flooding in Ohio County.

Wheeling Creek tributary Long Run flooded National Road through the Woodsdale area on Saturday night. Because of the high water, mud and debris, WV 88/Bethany Pike at Hamilton Ave, GC&P Road and Mount DeChantal Road were closed.

Those impacted by the flooding in Woodsdale began salvaging what they could from flooded basements and garages on Sunday. Their recovery efforts continued through Tuesday morning, as they attempted to remove mud and other debris from their residences.

Edgewood Street resident Clarissa McCardle, 35, was not present when her house’s basement and garage were filled with water due to flooding from Long Run. Her family was at a baseball tournament for one of her sons in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

A family friend, Ariana Miller, 14, had been watching the family’s dog and rabbit when the flooding occurred.

“We got the phone call on Saturday when the flooding first started from Ariana, and at first I was just like, ‘It’s okay, stay calm,'” McCardle recalled. “Then we started seeing the videos and pictures. We got so many phone calls from everybody asking us if we were OK because nobody realized that we weren’t there.

“I felt helpless because I could see everybody helping, but I wasn’t there,” she added.

The McCardle family was thankful for Miller’s bravery during the flooding, as Miller swam through the flooded basement to save their pet rabbit, Orie. McCardle joked that Orie was now a “miracle bunny,” while her daughter Ahlayah McCardle, 11, became teary-eyed while recalling the story of Miller saving the bunny.

Upon returning to her home at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, McCardle discovered that the family’s decorations, baby ornaments and pictures stored in the basement were destroyed. Her four kids’ sports equipment, housed in the garage, was also a total loss.

“We ran into bad weather on the way home last night, and we had to pull over, so it took us so long to get home, and since then it’s been a whirlwind,” McCardle said. “My kids are very active, and all our sports stuff is now gone, but at least it’s all replaceable. I’m very blessed that we are here now and happy that we’re all together.”

In between helping her parents clean up, Ahlayah McCardle watched creek water levels with her friend Serenity Knight, 9. Knight had been in her mother’s apartment in Woodsdale on Saturday night during the flooding.

“We just stayed upstairs because the basement flooded,” Knight said. “On Sunday, we came out and watched the creek. It was crazy to see because I had never seen it that high before.”

McCardle and her husband, two daughters and two sons had been cleaning out the basement and garage since their arrival home. They were also assisted by Chris Taylor, from whom they rent the house.

Taylor’s uncle, Ed Taylor, also assisted in the cleanup. Taylor, who owns a painting business, worked with his employee Alex Nucci to help clean up the McCardles’ house. Both were covered in mud as they removed debris.

Taylor had lost his house on Overbrook Avenue on Saturday night during the flooding. He managed to save his two vehicles and two of his four cats. Taylor also helped other Elm Grove residents escape the floodwaters on Saturday night.

“At my house, the water came up so fast that I couldn’t get my cats out of the basement. I barely saved anything,” Taylor said. “I did help an old woman out of the street flooding in her car. She was 70 years old, and she probably would have drowned because the water was eight feet deep.

“We got her into my neighbor’s house where she’d be safe,” Taylor continued.

Though he was tired from Tuesday’s flood cleanup efforts, Taylor said the story of one of his cats swimming to safety in his house was keeping his spirits up.

“Chica was one of my rescue cats that swam through eight feet of running water while I was getting the other cats out of the house,” Taylor said. “I never saw her do that because I was worried about getting other things out of the house, but then I saw her sitting on my bed and I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe this.’ Our cats are now at my daughter’s house in Warwood, where my wife and I are staying.”

In addition to residents, local businesses and organizations impacted by the flooding in the Woodsdale area were also recovering on Tuesday. C3 Christ Community Church on Bethany Pike faced asphalt and debris piling up towards the church’s entry on Saturday night as Long Run overflowed.

C3 Pastor Ted Dodd said city crews had been working diligently to clean off the entryway to the church. He noted that the church “fared pretty well” during the flooding compared to other businesses in the area, such as Yensen Landscape & Supply.

The church had to cancel its services last Sunday due to the flooding. Dodd said they hope to be back operational for the coming Sunday, noting it will “be a little dicey on the entryway.”

Dodd added he was in touch with a couple of congregation members whose basements were flooding from the rainwater. He said C3 officials were making sure “nobody was falling through the cracks” in terms of helping out their families impacted by the flooding.

“I really see this as an opportunity for us to serve the community in this crisis,” Dodd said. “I encourage folks that have any time at all to go check in with the places that are stationed out in Elm Grove to lend a hand.”

The church will have to postpone its free soccer camp, which was scheduled from Sunday, June 15, to Tuesday, June 17, at The Linsly School soccer fields due to the flooding. Dodd said they were checking with their more than 150 volunteers to determine a rescheduling date for the camp.

“We wanted to make sure that the field was clear and safe for the kids,” Dodd said. “Even though we don’t get to host our camp, I think that spirit of wanting to reach out to our community was already in people’s minds, so many camp volunteers are now out there helping clean up and bringing in donations. We’re sad we have to reschedule, but honestly, I think this allowed us to just be present for our community in a time of need.”